Light and Color in the Outdoors

All of science springs from the observation of nature. In this classic book, the late Marcel Minnaert accompanies the reader on a tour of nature's light and colour and reveals the myriad phenomena that may be observed outdoors with no more than a pair of sharp eyes and an enquiring mind. From the intriguing shape of the dapples beneath a tree on a sunny day, to rainbows, mirages, and haloes, to the colours of liquid, ice, and the sky, to the appearance of the sun, moon, planets, and stars - Minnaert describes and explains them all in clear language accessible to the layman. The author's enthusiasm inspires the reader, who is encouraged and given abundant opportunity to make his or her own observations and perform simple experiments. Yet the photographer, astronomer, or physicist will also find a wealth of detailed information, much unavailable elsewhere, on more exotic phenomena assembled by Minnaert over many years. Among them are Sun dogs, the fata morgana, coronae, glories, noctilucent and irridescent clouds, and haloes. This volume includes 80 new photographs, over half in colour, illustrating many of the phenomena - ordinary and exotic - discussed in the book.Most of the new photos are by Pekka Parviainen, the renowned Finnish nature photographer.